Healer (gaming):
A healer is a type of character class in gaming. When a game includes a health game mechanic and multiple classes, often one of the classes will be designed around the restoration of allies' health, known as healing, in order to delay or prevent their defeat. Such a class can be referred to as a healer. In addition to healing, healer classes are sometimes associated with buffs to assist allies in other ways, and nukes to contribute to the offense when healing is unnecessary.
When both healer and tank classes exist, a common strategy is for the healer to focus healing on an allied tank, while the tank prevents other allies, including the healer, from losing health.
Healers are often represented as a fantasy spell-caster, a medic, a repairman, or the like.
[edit] Abilities
Various types of healing abilities can exist in the same class. A heal can include any combination of these attributes.
- Straight Heal, when the caster heals for a specific number of health points. Also referred to as a "direct heal".
- Area of Effect, a heal which affects a specific radius from the caster. Can be exclusive to the team, or non-exclusive including the enemy if they are within range.
- Conditional Heal, a heal when the amount of health points is dependent on some precondition. Conditions can include what the health percent of the particular individual was at, if they are attacking, if they are healing, or if they are under a certain buff or debuff effect.
- Heal Over Time, a spell which will occur for a given amount of time, and will heal for a specific health points per second. If the spell can be removed, then the effect of the spell is removed. This spells name is often abbreviated to HOT as 'Damage Over Time' is abbreviated to DOT.
- Point Blank, a heal which must be cast at touching distance from the person being healed.
[edit] Healers in MMORPGs
- In City of Heroes, some players consider the Empathy power set to be a dedicated healing build, while other players contend that healing is not an essential component of team play.
- In Dofus, the Eniripsa class is the main healing class. This class also buffs/debuffs other team members or enemies. Other classes with healing abilities are Ecaflip, Enutrof, Iop, Sacrier, and Sadida, though these abilities are very limited.
- In Eve Online, many ships will fit repair systems to heal themselves, but fleets tend to use dedicated support craft that can heal other ships.
- In EverQuest, the Cleric, Druid and Shaman classes are all able to be healers for a group.
- In Final Fantasy XI, the White Mage and the Red Mage both have the ability to heal themselves and others.
- In the Fire Emblem games, the Cleric (female healer on foot), Troubadour (female mounted healer) and Priest (male healer on foot) classes use staves to heal others, but can't heal themselves and can't attack until promotion (to Bishop in the case of Clerics and Priests, or Valkyrie in the case of Troubadors). The Sage (promoted male and female anima magic users) and Druid (promoted male and female dark magic users) can also use healing staves.
- In Guild Wars, the Monk is a class which its primary task is to protect the team. A monk can heal and buff by enchantments. A Ritualist can also heal, though is less used for this job than a monk.
- In Lord of the Rings Online, while the role of primary healer is left to Minstrels, several other classes can heal themselves or others, such as Captains and Guardians. Lore-masters can also act effectively as healers at higher levels.
- In MapleStory, the Cleric (second Job advancement), and eventually its later forms the Priest and Bishop, serve the role of the "healer" class. Their Heal skill can hit 6 targets (including the cleric), which could either be party members or Undead enemies.
- In Ragnarok Online, the Acolyte job has basic healing and buffing skills. These skills can be furthered by progressing to Priest and later High Priest. However, all novices have access to a "First Aid" self-healing skill.
- In Runescape, a player using lunar magic can use straight and AoE heals, and players with a high enough hunter level can catch butterflys that can heal damage.
- In Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, healers all have additional capabilities:
* Cleric (healing over time, wears heavy armor, some tanking ability, 5 subclasses)
* Shaman (healer and damage dealer with damage-over-time spells (dots), wears medium armor, some fast heals, 3 subclasses)
* Disciple (monk healer, able to use endurance to heal instead of energy, wears medium armor, feign death)
* Blood Mage (healing and crowd control, able to drain own health in exchange for magical energy, wears light armor, primarily dps and backup healing)
- In World of Warcraft, the Priest class is used primarily for healing. The Druid, Shaman and Paladin classes are "hybrids" with both healing, melee and spellcasting capabilities.
- In Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, a very PvP focused game akin to Dark Age of Camelot each side (Order or Destruction) has three races, each of which has it's own unique sub-archetype of healer which is mirrored on the opposing side. These types are the "Melee Healers", the Empire's Warrior Priest and Dark Elves' Disciple of Khaine, rather than use their action points for their healing skills they use a second pool of energy that they build up through melee attacks. Because of their more combative nature, these careers generally have faster and more group orientated healing. The second type of healers are the "Offensive Healers" or "Nuker Healers", the High Elven Archmage and the Goblin Shaman, these careers are encouraged to mix up offense with healing by mechanics which increases the potency of their spells. If they cast heals, their next offensive spell is enhanced and vice versa. The last type of healer, the "Flex Healer" is your classic healer type. The Dwarven Runepriest and Chaos Zealot have a wider variety of heals and buffs and no actual mechanic to influence their playstyle. They make up for the lack of mechanic in their unique skills. They receive unique heals such as the "Flash Heals", which heal for small amounts but can be cast instantly, and "bouncing HoTs" that leap from one ally to the next. Also, their buffs provide their targets with special abilities, and they can potentially gain access to ground targeted Runes and Rituals that effect allies in the area.
[edit] See also
- Tank (gaming) is another common archetype focused on drawing enemy damage.
- Spell-caster (gaming) is another common archetype focused on dealing damage, while being relatively weak.
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